Duggan hires Milford native as communications aide

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is adding a new name to his communications team, tapping longtime Free Press copy editor and Milford native Dan Austin as the city’s deputy communications director.

Austin resigned his current Free Press position — as an assistant opinion editor, web editor and columnist on Detroit’s history — today. He said in a post on his Facebook page that he left with a heavy heart after a decade as a journalist at Detroit’s dominant daily.

“The only thing I love more than the Detroit Free Press is the city of Detroit itself,” he wrote. “And when the mayor of that city — a mayor you believe in — taps you on the shoulder and says, ‘Hey, come help me turn around our great city,’ you say yes.”

Austin’s last day at the newspaper is Aug. 31, the Free Press said in announcing his departure.

Austin, 34, a native of Milford and graduate of Michigan State University, interned as a copy editor at the Free Press in 2002. He started full-time at the paper in 2006 and in recent years was a member of the newspaper’s editorial board and web desk, assisting with the Free Press’ Facebook and Twitter accounts.

A resident of Detroit’s Woodbridge neighborhood, Austin also runs the website historicdetroit.org.

Austin will deal with the news media and be in charge of social media for Duggan’s team. He’ll be paid $80,000 a year.

He’s not the first journalist Duggan has lured into his administration. He also hired former WJBK-TV (Channel 2) reporter Alexis Wiley as a communications staffer; she later became Duggan’s chief of staff at $147,600. Duggan also tapped former WDET-FM morning show host Craig Fahle to be director of public affairs for the Detroit Land Bank Authority, a $120,000-a-year job.

Duggan’s communications chief, John Roach, said Austin is a skilled writer who understands the news media and the use of social media tools to engage residents.

“Dan is an extremely talented individual who has a real passion and energy for the city of Detroit, and he will play an important role on our communications team and help us effectively tell the story of the progress we’re making with the city,” said Roach, to whom Austin will report.

Matt Helms is a Detroit Free Press reporter. 313-222-1450 or mhelms@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @matthelms.